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Topic: Northfleet Roman Buildings (Read 11679 times)

I used to visit this when a child - presume it was the Roman bath house - about 8 feet square from memory - tiles were in very good condition and picture nearly complete. Always hoped that the train station would make a museum at the area showcasing the tiles. Tried occasionally to find photos since but no luck - we didn't bother as we could always go and see it!

The first and third descriptions in seafordpete's post of 5 May above both refer to the site.A villa estate at Northfleet near the mouth of the Ebbsfleet, dating to the second century AD.The site consists of at least 3 buildings, extensively robbed. The surviving parts seem to be of a wing of a house with 3 rooms and a corridor.The building to the North (right of plan) is a bathhouse. Source: The Cantiaci, Alex Detsicas.The Archaeology of Kent to AD 800, Ed J H Williams, suggests that the site may be a small harbour and trading site with evidence of use down to the end of the Roman period. The building is beside a substantial oak wharf.The site was re-excavated in advance of the new Ebbsfleet railway station and a Anglo-Saxon watermill discovered.

I have a copy of an Ordnance survey map of Northfleet dated 1907. Unfortunately it doesn't cover the whole area but it shows a number of tramway lines coming together and going by an embankment and possibly under a road. This area (for those who know it) would be at the Springhead road junction with The Hill By the Catholic church but in the quarry. The Springhead villa site is a couple of miles away.mmitch

I have seen several 'tramways' marked on maps in the industrial area.I believe these were used by the cement works, not passenger carrying.Probably horse drawn. They were narrow gauge.There was a set of tracks along the middle of the Shore road from Bevan's works to Robins wharf that were only removed in the 1970s.mmitch.

Where in Norhfleet was this? I know of the Springhead site and remember a big excavation there again when the old rail bridge was removed over the A2 before the widening before the current widening. Must have been about 1990 but this site looks smaller than Springhead and with 'Tramway' marked it could be on the London Rd A226.

Roman buildings were uncovered in Northfleet in the early 1900s, these were partly excavated during the years 1909-11. During the excavation a few amateur photographs were taken which were, and still may be, held at Gravesend Public Library. The buildings stood on land owned by A.P.C.M. Ltd. (TQ 616741) when it was excavated by Mr W. H. Steadman in the 20thC. A.P.C.M. had given Mr Steadman a grant for the excavation, however, it soon ran out before the Roman buildings could be properly excavated.The site was again excavated on the 1970s by Thameside Archaeological Group after many years of abuse from treasure hunters and other vandals. Due to road works being carried out it was expected that some if not all of the Roman site would be destroyed. During the first two weeks large quantities of Roman pottery was uncovered as well as roof and flue tile, painted wall plaster, and tesserae. A silver washed Antoninianus of Valerian II, minted post-humously in 268 A.D., was also found, the obverse carries a radiated head and the inscription “DIV CAES VALERIANO”, with the reverse having “CONSECRATIO” inscribed.